Closer USA – August 12, 2019

1

1996

VALLEY

GIRL With

her role as a femme

fatale in 2 Days in

the Valley (opposite

James Spader)

came her first taste

of typecasting.

“[So] I didn’t work

for over a year....

I wanted my career

to be about

something that I

really liked to do.

I didn’t want to go

in and repeat

myself. I wanted

longevity in

the game.”

MY LIFE IN

10

Pictures

CHARLIZETHERON

“I DON’T believe in charmed lives,” admitted Charlize Theron, who

while growing up on a farm in South Africa survived tragedy

when her mom killed her father in self-defense. “I think tragedy is

part of the lesson: You learn to lift yourself up, to pick yourself

up and to move on.” And move on she has — from ballerina,

model and extra in Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest

to Oscar-winner, Hollywood star and mother of two. But

Charlize, who turns 44 on Aug. 7, has remained humble

and philosophical through it all. “I think I’ve gone

through my life with the understanding that

you’ve got to let go,” she said. “And you can’t

think you’re going to control your destiny.”

2

1997 DEVIL

YO U SAY

Playing

opposite Al Pacino

in The Devil’s

Advocate, she

“was like a sponge,

soaking up as much

as I could.” But it

was just about

acting. “[Al] said this

thing to me: ‘If I

knew that my life

would be under this

kind of scrutiny, I

would have never

become an actor.’

And I thought,

Wow. I couldn’t

comprehend it.”

“What most people

don’t realize is that

no matter how others

see you, you have to

wake up to yourself

every morning.”

— Charlize

58 August 12, 2019 CLOSER